Darren Palmer’s guide to interior must-haves and updates for spring

Spring is seen as the time of rebirth; a time of renewal and to refresh. Photo: Supplied.

Spring is seen as the time of rebirth; a time of renewal and to refresh. While you’re considering a cleanout of those neglected spaces and overstuffed cupboards, now’s the time to take stock and consider an interior refresh, too.

Here's the lowdown on trends to embrace for the season ahead.

Curves

Whether it's a side table or a dining table, we're seeing the 1980s influence the forms of furniture coming into spring. Think about those dreadful '80s archways, then turn them on their side on a vertical plane and you’ll get the gist of the latest forms in furniture.

Personified by straight, parallel sides and neat, regular radiuses, the curved-end rectangle is a standout from table tops to legs, cabinets and chairs.

Add marble into this mix and you get a perfect, retro-inspired yet contemporary take on furniture trickling through from the shows in Paris and Milan.

Comfort

When my folks had a puffy leather sofa in the ’80s I mocked them, and still do to this day.

While their exact style hasn’t seen a comeback per se, the soft, puffy and very upholstered look is one of the stars in new furniture designs.

Some pieces are slightly overstuffed, others stuffed to cartoonish excess, but the idea is to have more cushioning than we’ve had in decades with a focus on how we balance the comfortable cushiness with chic lines and a refined level of detail.

Look for pieces that celebrate their voluptuous forms, or are paired with a neat metal rod leg detail, or simple, geometric-inspired timber elements.

The Noon lounge by Ross Gardam is a favourite and showcases this latest trend. Other go-tos are Hub Furniture’s Mia and Chandigarh armchairs and the Sophie armchair from Italy’s Gallotti & Radice.

Noon Lounge by Ross Gardam. Photo: Supplied.

Cane

Lighting has it, chairs have it, cabinets have it, bedsides have it. Whether it’s actually cane, or a woven rattan, the woven natural look is still with us and a great fit for spring, especially when paired with natural stone, stained timber and bright pops of colour.

In my travels through France this year I saw some fantastic pendant lights in coloured fabric and woven rattan. If I’d had a bigger luggage allowance, you’d see them hanging in my home. Check out Utu Soulful Lighting’s Monaco II suspension lamp for a playful take on this look.

Colour

The colour spectrum is nearly infinite so it’s always great to have your field narrowed when it comes to working with the latest trends. Unfortunately, the trend at the moment is colour almost entirely across the spectrum.

MONACO II suspension lamp bu Utu Lighting. Photo: Supplied.

Bright, intense, acid colours are here to add a punch. Gemstone-inspired colours, dark and intensely saturated, are just as popular as secondary, grey-based pastels. Cobalt blue is having a moment again, and Pantone’s Living Coral still inspiring palettes of lively warm colours pared with nudes, salmons, peach and terracotta.

Brown is back, though look at the type and tone of browns that we’re seeing in furniture and textiles for guidance. Look more for grey-based chocolate tones, walnuts, as well as the redder tones.

Black is popular when it comes to walls, furniture and textiles. Dark anthracite greys sit well beside this darker, moody palette.

Conscious consumption

With awareness of the finite nature of resources and the impact our purchasing decisions make on the world around us, we are becoming more considerate of the things we buy, how long they last, where they come from and what it takes to create them.

Reuse, revamp and recycle are all good practices but, now more than ever, consumers are looking at buying things consciously, considering the impact of their decisions not only on their space but the world itself.

You can still have the latest trends in your home, and reject the fast fashion approach, by finding the elements within trends that work for you over the long term.

Darren Palmer is a judge on Channel Nine’s The Block, Sundays at 7pm.